inferno

noun in·fer·no \ in-ˈfər-(ˌ)nō \

|Updated on: 21 Aug 2018

Examples: inferno in a Sentence

Definition of inferno

plural infernos

: a place or a state that resembles or suggests hell

the inferno of war

; also : an intense fire : conflagration

a raging inferno

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Examples of inferno in a Sentence

By the time help arrived, the fire had grown to a raging inferno.
the intense heat of the raging inferno repeatedly drove back the firefighters

Recent Examples of inferno from the Web

Agents alleged that the sect had started the blaze, while survivors blamed the government for igniting the inferno.

— bobby ross jr., Houston Chronicle, "Cult leader? ‘Sinful Messiah’? 25 years later, interest in David Koresh still strong," 22 Apr. 2018
The blazing inferno caused the hall's roof to collapse and incinerated more than half its decorative features, according to the Independent.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "See Inside St. George's Hall, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Wedding Reception Venue," 19 May 2018
Agents alleged that the sect had started the blaze, while survivors blamed the government for igniting the inferno.

— bobby ross jr., Houston Chronicle, "Cult leader? ‘Sinful Messiah’? 25 years later, interest in David Koresh still strong," 22 Apr. 2018
Agents alleged that the sect had started the blaze, while survivors blamed the government for igniting the inferno.

— bobby ross jr., USA TODAY, "Cult leader? ‘Sinful Messiah’? 25 years after Waco, interest in David Koresh still strong," 16 Apr. 2018
Now the building is home to a giant, raging inferno that shows no signs of stopping.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "A Plastic Warehouse in West Virginia Has Been Burning for a Week," 27 Oct. 2017
Residents in Shasta County, about 300 miles north of San Francisco, were also forced to flee an inferno.

— ryan gaydos, Fox News, "Northern California wildfire jumps single road leading to rural communities," 25 June 2018
The blaze, which sparked on the morning of May 31, 2013 at an Indian restaurant that spread to an adjoining hotel, soon turned into a rolling inferno.

— st. john barned-smith, Houston Chronicle, "HFD to honor firefighters killed in 2013 Southwest Inn fire," 31 May 2018
Cloud cover and a bit of a breeze helped keep things from turning into an inferno for the men's race, which started at 11 a.m.

— beth bragg, Anchorage Daily News, "With an elite competitor hot on his heels, Anchorage’s David Norris takes back men’s Mount Marathon title," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inferno.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of inferno

Italian, hell, from Late Latin infernus

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First Known Use: 1834

in the meaning defined above

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inferno Synonyms

Synonyms

conflagration, fire, holocaust;

Related Words

blaze, flare-up;

backfire, bonfire, brush fire, campfire, forest fire, wildfire;

arson;

INFERNO Defined for English Language Learners

inferno

noun

Definition of inferno for English Language Learners

: a very large and dangerous fire

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for inferno Spanish Central: Translation of inferno Nglish: Translation of inferno for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of inferno for Arabic speakers

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inferno

Definition of inferno

Examples of inferno in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of inferno

inferno Synonyms

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inferno

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